Another Delay

They are keeping Randy for a few more days. They want his blood to be at a 3 and it was 1.7 for the last two days. Missing him. Makes me sad to think about it too much.

Leaving Tucson

As I drove the lonely road back from Tucson by myself I wondered if I had made the right decision to leave Randy at the University Medical Center and come back home and work and take care of my children. I pondered all that had taken place in the last four days, was it only four days? My eyes have been opened to the world of heart transplant and everything I saw was fearsome. Who would ever agree to go through that? I am not that brave. I am not that optimistic, even if I am a happy person. I am way to whinny to go through that. I do have challenges on my side, but I have been prepared after all and I will take my challenges. I can be a support and comfort, a provider and caretaker. I will be thankful for my part of the challenges and even more thankful for support and help to be made strong.
Randy has to be made from the strongest stuff on earth, he is such a kind hearted funny loving example to me of grace under incredible pressure. I adore him.
WE were supposed to be done with testing today and able to BOTH come home, but there were some minor (I hope) glitches and Randy had to be admitted and monitored for two days because his blood didn't get thin enough after one of his most invasive procedure. It was a surgery if you ask me, they put him under and sliced him up and feed tubes from his legs up to his heart and blew up little balloons and poked around and measured things. It was surgery.

They also found something on his kidney, I got to see it on an ultrasound. They don't think it is anything but they sure made some people move fast to get more tests on that little pea sized thing. If they end up doing a biopsy,I want to go back down there.

So he will be okay, he is officially to be called pin cushion, and yes I hated leaving him there. Its not quite home without him. But he does hunt and camp out, so for the next few days I will just pretend that he is out with his brothers on a hunt.

Please keep Randy in your prayers. Thank you!
Love,
Tiffany

Trip to Tucson for Heart Transplant Evaluation

I've been thinking for a while that it is time to write to everyone to let you know what is going on. We had our first meeting with the transplant team and they reviewed Randy's charts and did a few minimal tests. They were quick to come to the decision that he should be evaluated for transplant. Randy was so worried about that visit the night before, it surprised me because this wasn't a life threatening situation, he wasn't about to go into surgery and he's been somewhat stable even if his energy is still low.
We got a call a few days ago and we are finally taking that trip to Tucson for all the tests that evaluated him for transplant. We left Monday Morning and will be gone till Thursday night. I have been checking in with face book since my phone allows me access to it from everywhere. Randy had quite the day yesterday and had 14 large vials of blood taken for the tests that check for "everything, the doctor at the lab stated, If they can't find it, he doesn't have it. Wow.

He had a psychological profile done and I visited with the psychologist too. They recorded our visits and a report of everything that happened in these 4 days is summarized and a counsel decides if he should go on the list and where on the list he should go.

Today is the day of many body scans, heart scans and long meetings with social workers, Why social workers? I guess I'll find out today. This is getting to be a bigger deal the more I am learning about it. Can we have our old life back? Maybe just pretend this isn't really happening? Is there a beach nearby, I think I'm ready to feel some sand between my toes.

We are staying in the neatest place. Its like a home away from home. Its a hospitality inn, and we just love it. Its in a residential area and we cook our own meals in a great kitchen and it feels like visiting a friend.

We are hoping for your prayers again at this time, and thank you for them. We know that as you have prayed for us mountains have moved.

We will know as early as next Friday if he will be placed on the list. We are hoping that he will as he has stopped getting better, and has had quite a few setbacks.

We love you and are thankful for you. Especially Penny and Mike Law watching our three beautiful children during this trip. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!!

Tiffany and Randy